Solar Eclipse 2024: Thousands heading to Ennis for Monday's eclipse
Ennis expecting thousands of visitors for eclipse
Years of planning will pay off Monday for many communities across North Texas. Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world are expected to be in the area to experience the total eclipse. The town of Ennis in Ellis County is expecting 200,000 tourists. FOX 4's Paige Ellenberger has more.
ENNIS, Texas - On a beautiful, sunny Sunday in Ennis, the focus for many tourists was on the area's famed bluebonnets.
There were dozens of people snapping photographs at Bluebonnet Park.
"We had to come see the bluebonnets. That was a big thing. He wanted to get out and take some pictures of the sun so we can think about where we want to be," said Tammy Anderson.
Anderson and her husband, Greg, flew in from Boise, Idaho, Saturday, leaving behind two inches of snow to soak in the total eclipse from Ennis.
Greg showed off his gear of his Canon camera with an extended lens, equipped with a solar filter, and of course he's got the safety glasses too.
He's ready for Monday’s history-making moment.
Solar Eclipse 2024: Ennis hosting travelers from across the country
The welcome center in Ennis, about 35 miles south of Dallas, was bustling with visitors from across the country and around the world on Friday.
"We’re here with our friends. It’s a nice trip to get out of town and to get away from the weather up north. It’s going to be a good experience, one way or the other. And of course, there’s always hope," he said.
Hope that it won't be cloudy for the total eclipse.
Greg's buddy, Mark Morris, who is an astronomy enthusiast, witnessed the partial eclipse in 2017 and is optimistic about being able to see Monday’s total eclipse.
"Experiencing a total solar eclipse is just fantastic. It’s phenomenal," Morris said.
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One family came in from Japan.
They said the eclipse is big news back home.
[REPORTER: "Does your family in Japan know what’s happening with the eclipse?"]
"Yes, yes. It’s so exciting for me and for our family. It’s very memorable for us," they said.
With this once in a lifetime event, you can feel the energy in downtown Ennis.
The city is welcoming thousands of people from all over, with some just a car drive away.
Like the Linda and Patrick Stewart, who drove from Denton County. They are staying at an RV park with their dogs.
"We just wanted to get away from the house. We both work from home, so we wanted to get out and see all the people, see all the fun everything that’s going on," Linda said.
"Good friends, have some fun, and hopefully the clouds will agree with us [Monday]," Patrick added.
People said even if it’s overcast Monday, it will still be worth going to Ennis to be in part of totality.